High-power electricity through Salt Water

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the feasibility of transmitting high-power electricity through salt water, specifically exploring the electrical properties such as impedance, inductance, and capacitance. Participants are considering the use of salt water as a medium for electrical conduction and the potential for creating high-voltage, short-duration pulses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the maximum current that can be moved through salt water and seeks information on its impedance.
  • Another participant notes that ultrapure water has high resistance and suggests that conductivity in salt water is due to dissolved ions, which depend on their concentration.
  • A participant emphasizes the conductivity of salt water, mentioning a specific conductivity value of about 5 S/m, and raises questions about the effects of inductance and capacitance on impedance at high frequencies.
  • One reply suggests that the topics discussed are covered in electrochemistry textbooks, implying that established literature could provide relevant information.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing levels of knowledge and focus on various aspects of the topic, indicating that multiple competing views and uncertainties remain regarding the electrical properties of salt water and their implications for high-power applications.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the behavior of ionic currents at high frequencies and the overall impedance characteristics of salt water in practical applications.

Erez_L
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Hello all,

How strong a current can I move though water?
Googling I have found only conductivity of salt water, but what is water's impedance?

Can I create 1 ms pulse of 500 volts and 1 A using salt water?

I want to use salt water as electrodes:
two metal electrodes submerged in two different salt water "bags", connected by some type of bio-metrial.

Any1 has information that might suggest it will work or fail?


Thanks a lot
Erez
 
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Ultrapure water specific resistance is 18 MΩcm, so you can assume it is a perfect insulator. Conductance is due to solved ions only and depends on their concentration.
 
Hi,

That's way I am talking of salt water. which has about 5 s/m.
But what about inductance and capticence?

and how does the impedance change at high freuqency?

Also, the issue is how FAST does ionic current can work?
 
Honestly, these things are addressed in any serious electrochemistry textbook. Check for example Electrochemistry by Jiri Koryta, Jiri Dvórák and Vlasta Bohácková.
 

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